mcmillan



(No Model.)

4 SheepsSheet 2.

J-, L. McMILLAN.

TYPE DISTRIBUTING MAGHINE. I

Patented Aug. 17,1886.

Wzin ease/s.-

(NO Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. L. MoMILLAN.

TYPE DISTRIBUTING MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 1'7, 1886.

T Fdine'ssecs:

4'sneets-sneen 4.

(No Model.)

J. L. MQMILLAN.

TYPE DISTRIBUTING MAGHINE.

Patented Aug. 1'7, 1886.

lnve (11hr.-

N. PEIERS. Pfwloulbognplm. Wluhinglan. D. C.

f UN TED STATES PATENT- Orrica.

JOHN LOUDON- MOMILLAN, OF ILION, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH FOWLER,T. S. OOOLIDGE, J. BUSH, AND D. .L. ROBERTSON, ALL OF .GLENS. FALLS, NEWYORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 347,627, dated August 17,1886.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OIIN LOUDON MoMiL- LaN, of Ilion, in the county ofHerkimer and State of New York, have invented certain new andusefullmprovementsin Type-Distributing Machines, of which the followingis a specification. I

My invention relates to type-distributing machines; and it consists,essentially, in a disk or wheel and ancncircling ring, each providedwith typc'channcls, and one arranged to rotate while the other remainsat rest, and

a series of intermediate removable wards or ;-guards,which hold the typein the channels of one of said paths until the wards or guards arebrought torcgister exactly with the nicks or notches'oi' the type, (eachletter or character of the type being differently nicked,) where- ;uponthe type is ejected, by spring or other= 2 wise, from the distributingchannel into the receiving-channel.

Figure l of the accompanying drawiugsis a top plan "iew of a portion orsection of my machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the 2 line a: a.oflFig. l; Fig. 3, a view of the cams or inclined grooves which controlthe position of the wards, guards,or selecting-pins, as they arevariously called, developed ina plane; Figs. 4 to 10, inclusive, viewsillustrating (letails ,Fip- 11, a plan view illustrating a'modification; Fig. 12, a view illustrating a de tail of the modifiedconstruction.

Prior to this invention, and dating backmany years, type-distributingmachines have been proposed, and have from time to time been constructedand operated with more or less success. no machine for the purpose hasbeen more successful in operation or simple in construction,

40 than that of Siircnsen, of Denmark, exhibited at the London WorldsFairin 1851, and-at the Paris Exhibition in 1855. In said machine thetype were each nicked in a peculiar way and arranged in grooves on theinside of a hollow 5 cone or basin. lhis was inverted on theedge v of a.cylinder, on the inside of which were grooves so constructed that eachletter could only slide into a particular groove. Thelower Perhaps up tothe present time,

.for the spindle.

Application filed May 6, I885. Serial No. 164,584. (No niodcl.)

one was turned round slowly in a horizontal 5o direction by means of atreadle. As each let- 'ter reached its own groove itslid down the insideofthe lower cylinder, and in this way each groovewas filledwitli onekind of letter. Oer tain difficulties have, however, presentedthemselves in all machines of this general constructiouknown to me; andthe prcsentinvention isdcsigned to obviate such difliculties, and stillretain the valuable features of the Siirenscnmachine.Thesedifficultiesembrace, o0

among other things, the occasional twisting orcanting of the type inpassing from the distributing to the receiving channel, great wear andinjury of the type, and stoppage of V the machine, or mutilation of thetype through a shaft or spind1c, O, which has threaded portions 1) babove and below the boss, upon which are screw'ednuts D and jam-nuts E.By means of these nuts the spindle may be raised or lowered, asrequired, and secured firmly at any desired height, the upper nut Dresting upon the boss'a, and forming a supporting-collar The lower endofthe shaft or spindle O is furnished with a worm-wheel,

F, meshing with and receiving a slow rotary motion from a worm, G,carried by a shaft, H, -8 5 supported in hangers I bcneaththe bed ortable A, and furnishedwith fast and loose pulleys. 1K, to receive adriving-belt from any convenieut"motor. In practice I so proportion thedriving-gear as to produce a slow but regular rotation of the spindle O,commonly about-one turn in a minute and a half, though the speed may bevaried as found expedient. The spindle O carries at its upper end, orabove the table A, a wheel or disk, L, the upper face of whiclrinclincsdownward slightly from the center to the periphery, for a purcylinderwas kept stationary, while the upper pose hereinafter explained. Thewheel L is per face of the wheel or disk furnished with a series ofradial channels, 0, of a width corresponding to the width of a type, orits measurement in the direction of the height of the letter orcharacter thereon, and preferably of a depth equal to the height of thetype to the shoulder. These channels are best formed by means ofseparate strips or sections d, screwed or bolted upon the up- L, but maybe formed by planing grooves directly in the face of the disk. Eachchannel is designed to contain a line of reading-matter to bedistributed, and is formed with a narrow slot, 0, in its lower side,through which extends one end of a bent wire spring, M, the other end ofwhich is inserted into a hole or socket 111 the hub or boss of wheel L,and secured therein by a setscrew or equivalent means. The free end ofeach spring projects through the slot 0 of the particular channel towhich it belongs, and enters a notch or recess, f, in the lower side ofa sliding block or follower, N, with which each channel is supplied. Theoffice of the follower and spring is to press the line of type outwardtoward the periphery of the wheel or disk L, and as the follower isliable to tip or rise under the pressure of the spring unless prevented,I form each channel with a longitudinal groove, in one wall, as shown inFig. 6, and each follower with a rib or feather, 72. to enter andtraverse said. groove, thus effectually preventing any except a directfor ward andoutward movement. The periphery oi. the upper part of thewheel or disk L, or that portion between the channel 0, is slightlyrecessed or grooved from near the top to near the bottom of thechannels, forming a circumferential depression or space, i, which inpractice is made about one-hundredth of an inch in depth. Close by theside of each channel there is formed in the periphery of the wheel ordisk L a vertical groove or seat to receive two sliding blocks, 0 and I,respectively provided with laterally-prejecting pins or fingersy' andit, which I term feedingpins or selecting -fingers, said grooves beingplainly shown in the top plan view, Fig. 1. These pins or fingersj and7c are formed at the outer side or face of the blocks or slides O and P,and work in the depression i, formed in the periphery of the wheel L,their ends projecting laterally a short distance across the mouths ofthe type-channels, as best shown in Fig. 0, and serving to prevent theescape of type, except when both of said pins register exactly with thearbitrzn'ily-located nicks or notches formed in the type and differentlyarranged in each letter and character of the font. They also hold theforward type back a short distance within the periphery of the disk. Thepins or fingers are caused to move vertically as the disk or wheelrotates, and at different points in each revolution to come exactly intoline with the nicks or notches of each separate type or character. Ateach of such points there is placed a receptacle for the particularcharacter or type with which the pins register at that point, andwhenever such type is at the outer end of one of the channels a and thepins reach such point the ejecting-spring M will force the line of typeforward in the channel and eject said forward type. In this way all typeof a certain letter or character will be ejected at one point, those ofanother character at another point, and so on throughout the series; orprovision may be made for bringing the fingers to given adjustments andpermitting the escape of certain types at two or more points in therevolution of the disk or wheel L.

The necessary rise and fall of the blocks or slides O and P is producedby means of cam guides or inclines extending around the wheel or diskand below the same. These guides are most conveniently produced byforming grooves Z and m in the inner face of a ring or band, Q,concentric with the wheel or disk B, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.The ring or band Q is advisably made in sections, and is screwed orotherwise secured to a heavier ring, R, encircling the wheel L, andmounted upon arms S, which are supported at suitable intervals by postsT and U, rising from the bed or table A, the upper ends of the posts Ubeing threaded and passed through holes in the arms and into sockets inthe ring to secure the latter firmly in place, as shown in Fig. 2.

This machine is more particularly designed to distribute type for use inconnection with a type-setting machine invented by me, and to place thetypes of each different letter or charactcr side by side in a singlelincin a type case or slide. I therefore adapt the machine to receive thetype cases or slides of the setting-machine, and to hold the same withtheir' open ends in position to receive the type ejectcd from thechannels of the wheel or disk L. To do this the arms S are extendedoutward a suitable distance and support an outer hoop or ring, V, tosustain the outer ends of the type cases or slides "W, the inner ends ofwhich enter seats it, formed in the periphery of an inner hoop, X,resting upon and held in place by the ring It, as shown in Fig. 2. Thehoop X extends in a vertical direction from the lower face of wheel ordisk L to the upper line of the type-channel bars or strips II, and itsinner face is provided with a recess or depression, 0, correspondingwith the recess 2' in the periphery of the wheel or disk L, butconsiderably deeper, being in practice about sixhundredths of an inch indepth. The'two recesses or depressions and o jointly form a space ofproper width to permit the free but close vertical play of the fingers jand 7.1, and their travel about the axis of the wheel or disk L. At eachpoint where the pins register with the notches or nicks of a type :tpassage, p,is cut through hoop or ring X, slightly wider than the widthof a type, so that when any one of the channels 0 comes into coincitheshoulder is .87.

recess i 0 for the meeting of the disk L and deuce therewith saidpassage forms a continuation of the channel. The outer side or end ofeach passage p is widened sufficiently to receive the end of one of thetype-cases W, which is inserted into said enlargement, the channel orgroove of the type-case forming a further continuation of the channel 0of the disk or wheel, as shown in Fig; 1. The outer end of each case isheld between two pins or studs, q, on the hoop V.

It will be seen from the foregoing that a typeejected from any one ofthechannels 0 will pass through one of the passages 19 and into one of thetype-cases XV.

To prevent the type from falling down in the cases WV, each case isfurnished with a spring-quoiu, Y, which may conveniently be made ofsheet metal, bent into shape, as shown in Fig. 5, and inserted into theslot or chaunel ot' the case, as in Figs. 1 and 2.

By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the upper face of disk orwheel L, which face forms the bottoms of the type-channelsc, is inclineddownward toward the periphery, and that the periphery of the wheel andof. the ends of the bars d,forming the type-channels, together with theinner face of hoop or ringX, are all perpendicular to said upper face ofthe disk or wheel. The object of this arrangement is to prevent thintypefrom turning edgewise in the channels, or when passing therefrom into orthrough, the passages 11, the inclination or tipping of the type causingeach to fall forward and to lie flat against the one previously ejected.This is a very important provision,and effectually overcomes a seriousdifficulty of prior machines of this class. The wheel L revolves slowlybut continuously, the

rate of movement being such that no difficulty is experienced inproperly ejecting the type whenever they come to the properoutlet-point.

Referring now to Fig. 10, the arrangement of the nicks in the type willbe more fully eX- plained, it being distinctly understood, however, thatI do not restrict myself to themeasuremeuts here given, norto thedivision into series as stated. A type measured from heel to face is .92of an inch, and from the heel to Allowing .08 above the hoop or ring Xattop, we find that the feeling pin or fingerj at its highest pointreaches apoint .79 of an inch from the heel of the type. The pins are.04 of an inch thick; therefore the highest nick is between points .75and .79 of an inch above the heel of the type.

To secure a sufficient number of combinations ofnicks to distinguisheach type from all others of the font, or, in other words, to insure adifferent nicking of each type, so that when the feeling-pins orselecting-fingers are in a given relation and position they shallregister with only one type of the entirefont I classify the type ingroups, each group containing a definite number of characters, and

throughout each group one of the-nicks retains a given position, whileeach successive type of the group has its second nick lowered a definitedistance below the corresponding nick of the preceding type. This willbe readily understood upon referring to Fig. 10.

In passing from each group to the next, the "first nick. of the type ofthe latter group isdroppeda certain distance below the first nick of thetype of the former group, as shown in Fig. 10, and retains such positionthroughout the group or series, while the second nick of each type ineach group corresponds in position with the second nick of eachcorresponding type of all the other groups, as also indicated in Fig.10.

the lower nick 101 of an inch and maintain such location throughout thegroup, and beginning with the first upper nick between the points .79and .75of an inch from the foot or heel of the type. as in the precedingseries, I again drop said upper nick .04 of an inch from channel tochannel, so that the nicking of the first type of one series differsfrom that of the first type of the next series only in that the lowernick of one is .04 of an inch out of line with the lower nick of theother, and the same is true with corresponding type throughout any twoadjoining series. In the groups containing thirteen characters or typeeach the drop of the upper nick from chauuelto channel in each seriesismade only .08 ofan inch, making a total of.39 of an inch as theontsidelimits of the nicks of the upper series, instead of .40, as inthe ten-character groups. This is rendered necessary by the fact thatthe vertical movement of the pins or fingers is limited, and that suchmovement must be divided up between the type or characters of eachgroup. As already mentioned, the upper line of the highest nick of theupper series is .79 of an inch from the foot, and the lower line of thelowest nick ofthe upper series is .40 of an inch below, or .39 of aninch from the foot or heel of the type. Between thelower line of theupper series of nicks and the upper line of the lower series ofnicksaspace of.06 of an inch isleft for a wheel B and hoop or ring X. Havingthus determined the nicking of the type, and arranged them in groups orseries, as explained, the ring Q has its grooves Z and m made insections corresponding to the required movements of the selecting pinsor fingers,as illustrated in Fig. 2, and by dotted lines in Fig. 6.Between each series of type channels and the next itis necessary toraise the pin or finger in to its first or highest position, and betweenthe first and last serics,or at other suitable points, it is necessaryto raise the pin or fingerj to its first or highest point. \Vhile thisis being done it is important that the type beheld back out of contactwith the feeling pins or fingers,to prevent the type from being liftedthereby. To elevate the pins the sections of the grooved ring Q areconnected by inclines 9', upon which the guiding studs or pins s of thesliding blocks 0 and P ride in passing from section to section or groupto group. To hold the type back from the feel ing pins or lingers duringthe elevation of the latter, I place above each incline 1' a thin plateor strip, t, of metal, Figs. 1 and 7,which is secured to ring X, extendsacross the space to, and projects into a circumferential groove orrecess, a, formed in the face or wall of the depression 07 above thelower block, P, the block 0 being cut away in its outer face, as shownin Fig. 8. The ends of this plate or strip being beveled, the type inpassing it are forced and held back until they pass above the inclines1- from end to end of the latter, when they resume their originalposition. Vhen the type are ejected from the channels 0 of the wheel ordisk, they enter the inner ends of the passages 12, just clearing theperiphery of the disk, from which position they are forced outward, asthe disk rotates, by inclines i formed upon or applied to the peripheryof the disk or the ends of the channel-bars d. This arrangement relievesthe springs M. of the necessity of moving forward the line of type inthe receiving-channels or type-cases, and leaves in front of eachchannel c an open space to receive the next type or types ejected fromsaid channel. As a consequence of this provision,the type are ejectedquickly and with certainty, and the springs M are permitted to be lightand very elastic. The studs 8 are simply screws with reduced ends,which, being withdrawn, permit the insertion and removal of the blocks 0and 1 at will.

The foregoing explanation is given to make clear the general principleof construction and operation; but in order to distribute as largepercentage of thetype as possible during each revolution, I repeat thecases and cams or inclines for those letters which occur mostfrequently, and therefore it happens that the precise order andarrangement of inclines and of nicks above stated is not followedthroughout.

The extent of movement of the pins, the

size of nicks and pins or fingers, and other like matters of detail maybe varied as de sired.

Vhere two type of a given letter occur together both are ejected atonce.

The type to be distributed may be pushed into the chambers c from agalley one at a time, as the chambers pass a given point, and afterwardforced outward by the ejecting-springs and followers as the chamberscome into line with the proper cases, at which time the fingers j iswill coincide with the notches of the type belonging to such case, justas under the foregoing construction. It is obvious that for suchoperation the chambers 0 need only be deep enough to hold two or threetype, the follower, and its spring. To permit this to be done it isnecessary that the guard-fingers be moved out of the way of the incomingtypeline at the point where the openings of the wheel coincidetherewith,in order that the type may all enter said recesses freely.This is accomplished by merely elevating the camgroovc Z and depressingcam-groove m at that point sufficiently to carry the guard-finger jabove and the guard-finger below the type, as illustrated in Fig. 12. Asthe wheel rotates and carries the type to the different cases thegrooves l and m bring the fingers again into operative position, andsaid fingers permit the type to escape from the wheel to the cases inprecisely the same manner as above set forth.

The operation of the machine under the firstdescribed construction is asfollows: The attendant, taking a line of type on a rule, as fordistributing by hand, places the line in one of the channels 0 of diskor wheel B, presses back the follower N with a finger of the hand nextit, and this is repeated with all or any number of the channels, themotion of the disk being so slow as to cause no dilllculty in placingthe type in the channels. As the wheel rotates, the pins or fingersj I;at some point or points in each revolution come exactly into line withboth nicks of the forward type of the channel, which type is thereuponejected, and the same operation is performed with the next, and so on.As the type are ejected they and the line ahead of them are forcedoutward by the inclines v, the selecting pins or fingers rising andfalling as their studs or pins 8 traverse the grooves l m and inclines1'.

The action of the machine is automatic, and all that is required of theattendant is to keep the channels a supplied with type, to remove thefilled cases, and to supply empty ones.

It is obvious that either the disk L or the outer series of channelsmaybe made to move, that the type may be made to move vertically insteadof horizontally, that a reciprocating instead of a rotary motion maybeadopted, and that straight instead of circular faces may be opposed, theprinciples of construction and operation being independent of theseconsiderations. It will also be seen that the machine can be used tomerely drop the type into separate boxes or receptacles, instead ofplacing them on cases, and therefore I do not restrict myself to the useof such cases.

Weights connectedby cords and guided by pulleys may obviously besubstituted for springs M to advance the line of type, and astep-by-step movementmay. be used.

The outer ring, V, is made in separable sections, in order that anysection andthe cases supported by said section may be removed at will,to enable the attendant to stand in close to the distributing-wheel foradjusting or fixing any part. This is of very considerable practicalimportance.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to provide means for adjusting thetype-wheel vertically, and I confine my claims in this particular to thespecial means of adjustment shown and described.

I am also aware that movable type cases or channels have been combinedwith a type-distributing wheel but never, so far as I am aware, havethey been arranged radially out side of the same and'in position toreceive the 5 type direct without the intervention of lifters or likedevices. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim 1's 1. In atype-distributing machine, the combination of a body having spaces tocontain types and movable blocks provided with pins or fingers extendingpartially across the mouths of said spaces, and adapted to permit orprevent the escape of type as they are moved into or out of line withthe nicks of the type.

2. In a type-distributing machine, the combination of a body providedwith channels to contain a line of type side by side, blocks having pinsor fingers extending partially across the mouths of the channels and ofasize to pass freely through nicks formed in the type, and

means, substantially such as described and shown, for moving said blocksand bringing the pins into line withthe nicks of the different typesuccessively.

3. In combination with a body formed with channels to contain a lineof'type side by side, movable blocks provided with pins or fingersextending partially across the mouths of the channels, and cams orinclines adapted and arranged to move the blocks and their fingers,

and to bring the latter into line with nicks of the different typesuccessively.

4. In combination with a body havinga series of channels to contain aline of type side by side and a second series of channels or receptaclesto receive and hold the type in a line as they are ejected from thefirst series, blocks carrying intermediate pins or fingers adapted to bemoved into line with the nicks of the type, and cams or inclines servingto move the blocks, with their fingers, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with a channeled body, as L, having a depression, 6,across the ends of the channels, cases adapted to receive type from saidchannels, the body or the cases being movable one in relation to theother, and intermediate blocks having pins or fingers extendingpartially across the mouths of the channels, working in the depressiont, and adaptedto be brought into line with the nicks of the respectivetypes, all substantially as described and shown, the depressionpermitting the fingers to hold the type back from the meeting line ofthe channeled body and the cases, and thus to prevent the wear of thetype.

6. In combination with a body channeled to contain single lines oftypeside by side, a

series of receiving-channels, one set of channels being movable past theother set, intermediate movable blocks having fingers to permit orprevent the eseapeof the type from one set of channels to the other,cams or inclines for moving the blocks and their fingers downward,inclines for elevating the blocks and their fingers, and a blade orplate projecting from the body containing the receiving-channels intothe space between the distributing channels at points above theelevating-inclines, whereby the type are pressed and held back [from thefingers during the rise of the latter.

7. In combination with aseries of type-containing channels for type tobe distributed and a second series of channels to receive the typedischarged from the first series, blocks provided with wards or fingersto control the escape of type from the channels of one series to thechannels of the other series, and inclines projecting from the spacebetween the channels of the first series, and serving to force the typeoutward in the channels of the second series as one series is moved pastthe other.

8. The combination of a series of channels to contain type to bedistributed, a second series of channels to receive the type from thechannels of the first series, and guards or fingers to control thepassage of type from one series to. the other, said channels beinginclined slightly downward in the direction of the travel of the type,substantially as and for the purpose explained.

9. The herein-described type-distributing machine, consisting of bed orsupport A, spindle 0, provided with wheel or disk L, having channels 0,springs M, and followers N in said channels, hoops or rings V and X, thelatter closely encircling wheel L and formed with passages 19, typecases\V, supported by said rings, sliding blocks 0 and I, provided withfingersj and k, inclines 1) between the channels 0, ring Q, providedwith grooves Z and m, and inclines 1 between the grooved sections of thering, all substantially as described and shown.

10. In a type-distributing machine, the combination of a bed or support,a spindle, 0, passing through said support and having threadedsections 1) I), provided with nuts D E, by which the elevation of thespindle may be regulated,

a channeled distributing-wheel, L, carried by the spindle C, a ring orhoop, X, encircling said wheel and provided with passages p, and guardsor fingers interposed between the periphery of the wheel and thepassages 1), to control the escape of the type from the channels of thedisk to the passages p.

11. In combination with wheel L, provided with channels 0 and encirclingring or hoop X, provided with passages 12, an intermediate annularspace, i 0, and Sliding blocks 0 I, having fingcrsj k, arranged to moveup and down within said space.

12. In combination with wheel L, provided with channels 0,circumferential depression 2', and groove u, ring X, encircling saiddisk and provided with passages p and depression 0, sliding blocks 0 1,provided with fingersj it between the disk and ring, and with studs 8,ring Q, provided with grooves I m, inclines 9' between the groovedsections of the ring Q, and plates t, extending from ring X. into thegroove 21 above the inclines a, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

133. In combination with wheel L, having channels 0, ring X, providedwith passages p, and intermediate wards or guards, spindle G, carryingsaid wheel L, worm-wheel F, secured to said spindle, and shaft H,provided with worm G, meshing with the worm-wheel F, and serving to givemotion to the wheel L.

11. The combination of wheel L, provided with channels c and means foradvancing the type therein, ring or hoop X, provided with passages 12,intermediate fingers, j k, and in elines 0 between the channels 0,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

15. In combination with wheel L, having channels 0, hoops X and V, theformer provided with passages p, and the latter having studs or pins q,ring Q, provided with grooves l m and inclines 1', and blocks 0 P,provided with fingersj 7.: and studs 8.

16. In a type-distributing-machine, the combination of a rotarydistributing-wheel and a series of independent removable type casesarranged radially outside of said wheel to receive the type therefrom.

17. In atype-distributing machine, the combination of a rotarydistributingdisk or wheel, a series of external radialreceiving-channels, and supporting rings or hoops for said channels,substantially as shown.

18. In combination with a rotary distributing-disk and an externalseries of removable receiving-channels, an outer supporting-ring forsaid channels made in separable sections, whereby any section may beremoved at will to give access to the distributing-disk.

JOHN LOUDON MCMILLAN.

Witnesses:

\VILLIAM XV. Donon, WALTER S. Donors.

